Disclaimer: I do not own Hugh Jackman. If I did, I would be one VERY happy fangirl. I also do not own the character of, nor the royalties to, the movie Van Helsing. I also do not own the sources from which I got my notes on Japanese myths and superstitions- and if anyone who reads this finds a serious error in my usage of any of the myths, please notify me. I also do not own any of the songs whose credits I will list at the end of their respective chapters. I DO own the original works.
Prologue- Arrival
July 18, 1893
Kyoto Harbor
This was the farthest away from Rome he had ever been sent on an assignment that was for certain. Not that it meant he had to learn the language- he had a passing talent for picking up tongues rapidly if the need called for it. A fringe benefit, he presumed, of having no past. No, instead he was being sent to some mission somewhere near the coast of Japan for "training"- what Jinette thought would be a nice vacation for him. Oh- and he had been informed that he was to take orders from some "Father Kaman." Whoever that was. In other words, he was still a "monster" hunter. The local occult trash man. Lovely.
To top off his trip, he was being smuggled in, not even officially a passenger. He wasn't even going to a "real" mission; it was a neutral ground place. A small plot of land on which three disparate religions shared housing. Shintaoism, which held most of the Japanese yet, Buddhism, which had the majority of the rest, and Christianity. According to his file of "necessary information": this place had a distinct border- and Father Kaman oversaw all of it. It was interesting to note that the safe house provided sanctuary to anyone and everyone- a sanctuary that ended at the wall.
Oh perfect.
Sir Gabriel Van Helsing was NOT pleased.
.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.
There he was.
The man Father Caman would send to kill her.
She was so tired of it all....
Oh? What is this? THAT is interesting... He's not like the others... Not at all...
Her long-honed sixth sense for this sort of thing kicked in, and she sighed to herself.
He is a good man.... not "holy" but that hardly matters. Perhaps, this time she would let the inevitable happen. After all, she resisted her end at the hands of the others usually because she could not stand to see her end at hands like theirs, at the end of souls like theirs, ones more likely than not to condemn her to Hell than even attempt to will her to Heaven, where the rest of her kind resided. Yes, perhaps she would let him win, and save the world her bad timing. At least then, her soul could fly... even if she did not dare to in daylight anymore.
One year for every hundred, and she was the last. Once again, her kind saw an ending of days... this time, that of their own.
She watched as Van Helsing greeted his guide, and then let her attention wander.
People who hunted super-naturals tended to know they were being watched.
.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.
He stepped off the Revenant Vaticus with an audible sigh. He hoped Cardinal Jinette knew what he was doing....
"Sir Van Helsing?"
A monk in a familiar style of brown robes was looking around.
He nodded, and met the monk, letting his gaze roam the crowd. Someone was watching him. No, not someone. Something.
"I'm Van Helsing."
The monk grinned, and began talking a mile a minute.
"It's a good thing the monastery is in the country, you'd stick out terribly here. My name is Brother Himura Kasamoto. I'll take you to the mission house, and try to fill you in on where you'll be spending your next six months or so...."
With a final glance around, he followed.
.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.
A good man in truth, then....... that is as it should be....
She shadowed them, careful to stay well concealed. It was a skill she had picked up over the decades. A necessary one.
Prologue- Arrival
July 18, 1893
Kyoto Harbor
This was the farthest away from Rome he had ever been sent on an assignment that was for certain. Not that it meant he had to learn the language- he had a passing talent for picking up tongues rapidly if the need called for it. A fringe benefit, he presumed, of having no past. No, instead he was being sent to some mission somewhere near the coast of Japan for "training"- what Jinette thought would be a nice vacation for him. Oh- and he had been informed that he was to take orders from some "Father Kaman." Whoever that was. In other words, he was still a "monster" hunter. The local occult trash man. Lovely.
To top off his trip, he was being smuggled in, not even officially a passenger. He wasn't even going to a "real" mission; it was a neutral ground place. A small plot of land on which three disparate religions shared housing. Shintaoism, which held most of the Japanese yet, Buddhism, which had the majority of the rest, and Christianity. According to his file of "necessary information": this place had a distinct border- and Father Kaman oversaw all of it. It was interesting to note that the safe house provided sanctuary to anyone and everyone- a sanctuary that ended at the wall.
Oh perfect.
Sir Gabriel Van Helsing was NOT pleased.
.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.
There he was.
The man Father Caman would send to kill her.
She was so tired of it all....
Oh? What is this? THAT is interesting... He's not like the others... Not at all...
Her long-honed sixth sense for this sort of thing kicked in, and she sighed to herself.
He is a good man.... not "holy" but that hardly matters. Perhaps, this time she would let the inevitable happen. After all, she resisted her end at the hands of the others usually because she could not stand to see her end at hands like theirs, at the end of souls like theirs, ones more likely than not to condemn her to Hell than even attempt to will her to Heaven, where the rest of her kind resided. Yes, perhaps she would let him win, and save the world her bad timing. At least then, her soul could fly... even if she did not dare to in daylight anymore.
One year for every hundred, and she was the last. Once again, her kind saw an ending of days... this time, that of their own.
She watched as Van Helsing greeted his guide, and then let her attention wander.
People who hunted super-naturals tended to know they were being watched.
.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.
He stepped off the Revenant Vaticus with an audible sigh. He hoped Cardinal Jinette knew what he was doing....
"Sir Van Helsing?"
A monk in a familiar style of brown robes was looking around.
He nodded, and met the monk, letting his gaze roam the crowd. Someone was watching him. No, not someone. Something.
"I'm Van Helsing."
The monk grinned, and began talking a mile a minute.
"It's a good thing the monastery is in the country, you'd stick out terribly here. My name is Brother Himura Kasamoto. I'll take you to the mission house, and try to fill you in on where you'll be spending your next six months or so...."
With a final glance around, he followed.
.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.
A good man in truth, then....... that is as it should be....
She shadowed them, careful to stay well concealed. It was a skill she had picked up over the decades. A necessary one.